Exercise and massage cushion



Aug.2,'l932. A. w. BRAND EXERCISE AND MASSAGE CUSHION Filed Aug. 29.1929 A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 2, 1932 U'Nrrs STATES ACHILL W. BRAND, OI MORRO BA Y,CALIFORNIA,

'nxnncrsn AND MASSAGE cusnron Application filed August 29, 1929. SerialNo. 389,239.

My present invention relates to exercise and massage cushions, and hasreference particularly to a cushion intended and adapted to be used inexercising and massaging the torso along the spine and at other pointsadjacent the internal organs and vital nerve centers.

An object of this invention is to provide a cushion which is soconstructed and shaped that an individual can exercise and massagevarious portions of the body when recumbent upon a bed, couch, or thefloor, in which reclining position the trunk and torso organs, nervesand muscles are presented in a relation for accomplishing of mostbeneficial results.

Another object is to provide a cushion whichcan be used upon variousportions of the body and which is of such form that so highly eificientand beneficial results are at tained.

Still another object is to so construct the exerciser cushion that itcan be made up to be placed in the hands of individual users,

accompanied by instructions or suggestions for its use, and that it willnot require replacement or repair through strains encountered inordinary use.

With this and other objects in view, which go will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, my present invention includes certain novel featuresof construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter setforth in connection with the drawing and then particularly pointed outin the claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side improved cushion.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view.

It has been found that very soothing and beneficial results are attainedfrom massage and manipulation of the portions of the human body over andon each side adjacent the spine, and that equally beneficial results areattained by manipulation of other portions of the body adjacent theinternal organs and nerve centers. Heretofore, such manipelevation of myulation has usually beenaccomplishedmanually by an operator using thehands, and with my present invention it will-be possible for anindividual to attain the same beneficial manipulation and massagewithout assistance and to vary the severity of the manipulation to suithis own individual desires or needs. My improved cushion is intended tobe supported when in use upon a couch, bed, the floor, or upon someother relatively flat, or a perhaps yielding support, and as it isessential that a certain well defined configuration be maintained in thecushion the entire structure is built and assembled upon a basemember 1. This base member, which in the present instance is shown asbeing a substantially rectangular elongated sheet of material is made ofa length to correspond substantially to the length of the human trunk,and to better accommodate the requirements of in- 7 dividual users ofdifferent heights, it may be found desirable and necessary to vary thelength of the supporting base portion and to make the finished cushionsof different lengths. I i5 A body 2, which can be of any suitablestufling or filler material possessing a slight degree of resiliency isbuilt up on the supporting base member 1 to be of substantially thecontour shown in Figure 1, in which the w longitudinal top line at 3follows substantially a normal bodily line taken coextensive with thehuman spine. This supporting body 1 is filled out at 4 to prrvide anextending rounded portion which will lit the neck and will engage at thebase of the skull, and the top line '3 then follows an undulating curvereceding at 5, rising at 6 to fit the small of the back and then slopingdownwardly to H merge into the supporting base member 1., as at 7. Thetop along the undulating line is made of narrow width so that it willhave a lateral extent only sufiicient to contact the immediate region ofthe spine.

A layer of cushion material is applied 9'5 at Son the top of thesupporting body 2, and the cushion is then covered with a leather,fabric, or other suitable cover 9. I have found that this covering 9 canbe formed from the side pieces 10 and 11 and a top'piece 12, which 1when sewed or otherwise secured together will serve to maintain thedesired shape and contour of the cushion but it is perhaps preferablethat the cover 9 and the body portion 2 be stitched through as at 18 togive greater stability and to better insure maintenance of the desiredform. This covering 9 can be eX- tended over the lower side of thesupporting base 1 and can be secured in place thereon by the use oftacks M or other suitable fastenings, and the stitching cords 13 can belooped through suitable tufting buttons 15 if these be deemed necessaryand advisable. Also, the tying strings can be extended, longitudinallyas suggested at 16 in Figure 1, and greater rigidity will be attained inthe supporting body 2;

In the use of my improved structure the exercise cushion will be placedupon a suitable support and the individual user will then sit upon, oradjacent to the inclined end 7, with the back toward the cushion. As theuser rocks back upon the cushion the undulating curve thereof willsubstantially fit the natural curve of the body adjacent the spine. Alateral rolling movement of the user will exert a kneading and massagingforce upon the back over and immediately on each side of the spine. Theexercise and massaging action can be varied by the user rocking forwardfrom the cushion and back again to the reclining position resting uponthe cushion and the neck and portions at the base of the skull can bemassaged by twisting the head from side to side while resting the neckupon the rounded portion l with the head overhanging, or alternatelyresting the neck over and returning it to this rounded portion. Where itis desired to massage the sides of the body adjacent the false ribs toreach the internal organs, this can be readily accomplished by lyingupon the middle portion of the cushion with the same turned at rightangles to the extent of the spine, or the user can lie upon thesupporting surface and insert the inclined end 7 beneath the body andthen roll alternately onto and off from the inclined end. The abdomenand the upper chest portion of the truck can be massaged and exercisedby the user lying face downward upon the cushion with the same disposedeither coextensive with or transversely across the line of the spine,and the front and side neck muscles can be massaged while resting incontact with the rounded portion 4.

The degree of force and the intensity of the massaging manipulation canbe varied by the individual user to suit his own requirements, or thiscan be taken care of by varying the degree of elasticity in the built-upbody portion 2, or the resiliency of the top cushion portion 8. Also insome instances it may be found desirable to have the covering material9, or a portion corresponding thereto made either in whole or in part asan air-tight envelope or container to be inflated so that a pneumatictop or cushion portion will be presented for use to contact with thebody.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a cushion whichis of simple and inexpensive construction and which is of such form andstructure that it can be used by individuals to accomplish a massagingmanipulation and exercise the body adjacent the spine, over internalorgans and nerve centers, and at other points where a yielding pressureand manipulation are desired.

l/Vhile I have 'shown and described only certain specific embodimentsand constructions of my improved exercise and massage cushion, and havesuggested only certain possible modifications in the structure andcertain manners in which the same would be used, it will be appreciatedthat changes and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

An exercise and massage cushion comprising a narrow elongatedsubstantially inflexible supporting base, and a cushion body built up onthe base having an undulating contour line longitudinally on the topthereof corresponding substantially to the line on the back of the humanbody coextensive with the spine, said undulating top line being ofnarrow width in its lateral extent to contact with the back of a personlying thereon longitudinally over and immediately adjacent the spine andin its lateral extent being inclined downwardly to a wedge-shapedtermination at one end of the supporting base and being rounded over andslightly elevated in a ball form at the other end to fit the back of theneck adjacent the base of the skull.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

ACHILL W. BRAND.

